The Transnational Development of the Dejiao Organization and the Extension of its Network

Abstract

This paper examines the transnational development of the Dejiao organization and the expansion of its network. Dejiao originated as a spirit-writing cult in 1939 in the Teochiu (Chaozhou) region of South China. Dejiao is largely a Teochiu phenomenon with a close link to Teochiu businessmen. By the end of World War II, Teochiu businessmen had begun spreading Dejiao to areas of Southeast Asia, such as Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia. Since then, the network has grown and has reached out to the Teochiu people in Southeast Asia. At present, the Dejiao organization continues to rapidly expand its networks and reinforce the partnership between the Dejiao organizations in Southeast Asian countries.

However, the main activities coordinated by these organizations involve planchette divination and charity work. They are less concerned with the intellectual aspects of Dejiao or preaching and as a result, lack a complete systematic ethical and spiritual basis. Hence, Dejiao is almost treated as a strictly charitable society, rather than a religious organization.

To strengthen the ethical and spiritual bases of Dejiao as well as to seek out a new forward direction of its development, the members of the organization have made considerable efforts, such as returning to China to confirm the roots of Dejiao and establishing new branches of the organization around the world. It is the objective of this paper to analyze the transnational development of the Dejiao organization and expansion of its networks as its essential character, by clarifying the characteristics and tendencies of its members as well as the way in which the organization has developed across Southeast Asia.